Yoke



Oct. 8, 1929. v H. J. LOUNSBRY YOKE Filed Deo. 24, 1926 Hill* C MII ff IIIII Patented @et 8, 1929 Ulti'll STATES rTENT oFFicE HARVEY J'. LOUNSBURY, OF GLEN ELLYN, ILLNGS, ASSIGNOR TO W, H. MINER, ING., F CHICAGO, ILLINOS, A CORPRATON OF DELAWARE YOKE Application illecl December 24, 1926. Serial No. 158,779.

vi ded for.

ilnother object of the invention is to provide means for detachably connecting the drawbar to the yoke of a railway draft rigging, including a holding element, wherein 'the butt end of the drawbar co-operates with the holding element to prevent displacement lol the latter and lock it to the yoke.

A. more specilic object of the invention is to provide a means for connectino' the drawbar to the yoke of a railway draft rigging, wherein the drawbar is held attached to the yoke by a lockingy element litting in transverse slots in the head end of the yoke and the locking element is held against lateral displacement by engagement of the butt of the drawbar with abutment means on said element.

@ther objects and advantages of the invention will more fully and clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing7 forming a part of this specilication, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a drawbar and yoke illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure Q is a horizontal, sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 2 2 of Figure l, showing the butt end of the drawbar in dotted lines. And Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 3 3 of Figure 1, also showing the butt of the drawbar in dotted lines.

ils shown in the drawings, my improve ments comprise broadly: a yoke A; a drawbar B; and a locking element C.

The yoke A has the usual upper and lower arms and 11 and a rear end connecting piece 19.. At the forward end, the yoke is provided with a hooded head 13 having ver tically disposed spaced side walls 14C-14C and top and bottom walls 15-15 forming eXtensions of the top and bottom arms 10 and 11 of the yoke. The top wall 15` at the outer end thereof is provided with a downturned flanged section 16 which presents a short ver-- tical shoulder co-operatingfwith the drawbar butt in a manner hereinafter explained. The front end el' the bottom arm 11 of the yoke is downwardly offset as indicated at 17 and merges with the bottom wall 15 of the hood. As clearly shown in Figure 1, the lower section of the hood is enlarged, the enlargement projecting forwardly to provide adilitional strength at this portion of the yoke. rlhe side walls are slotted in trans-` verse alignment as indicated at 18-18 to accommodate the locking element or block C. the slots 18 being preferably of L shape as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The drawbar B is of the usual form and has an enlarged butt end 19 which is shouldered at the top and bottom as indicated at 20-20. The upper shoulder 2() is adapted to enge behind the flange 16 at the top of the voke to prevent outward movement of the drawbar when the parts are lockedin asseinlfiled position. The opening at the forward end of the hood between the flange 16 and the bottom wall 15 is of such a size as to permit the insertion of the drawbar butt through the front end of the yoke.

the locking element or block C is in the form of a relatively heavy plate-like member having an upstanding transverse flange 21, thereby providing an L-shaped member corresponding to the shape of the slots 18. The upstanding flange 21 presents a transverse rear abutment face adapted to co-operate with the lower abutment shoulder 2O of the drawbar B. rThe block C is insertible transversely of the yoke through the slots 18 and is held lined against movement in a direction lengthwise of the yoke by the front and rear end walls of the slots 18. As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3, the slots 18 are so arranged that the bottom walls thereof are in alignment with the upper surface of the bottom wall 15 of the hood, whereby the locking element C will bear directly on the wall 15 when in position. The top surface of the locking' block C is centrally recessed or slotted as indicated at 22, thereby providinglongitudinally extending vertical side abutment faces 253-23. rllhe opening or slot 22 is of a width to accommodate the lower portion of the butt 19 of the drawbar. rl'he bottom wall of the opening or slot 22, as clearly indicated in Figure 1, is in substantial alignment with the upper surface of the main portion of the arm 11 of the yoke and the distance 1oetween the inner surface of the top wall 15 of the hood and the surface of the bottom wall of the slot 22 is such as to snbstatially correspond to the height of the butt 19 of the drawhar, so that when the parts are assembled, the drawbar butt will be held against vertical movement to any great extent, therehy preventing disengagement of the shoulders 2O from the flanges 1G and 21.

rlhe vertical end section 12 of the yoke` is cut away at opposite sides at the top and het tom as indicated at 2fle-2, thereby providizr central vertical webs and a relatively ol d abutment surface 25 therebetween correspondinggin width to the width of the yoke. Eearwardly of the abutment member 25, the sides of the section 12 are also cut away indicated at 26, thereby leavinga central vertical weh. The webs 24 are cut away or notched as indicated at 27 adjacent the top and bottom arms of the yoke.

As is well known in the art, the yoke adapted to accommodate the usual shock absorbing mechanism employed in railway draft riggings, the shock ahsorbin mechanism heing` usually associated with front and rear followers which co-operate with stop lugs on the draft sills, the followers bei also disposed within the yoke and coopera-tino; respectively with the butt end 19 of the drawhar and the abutment surface of the rear end section 15 of the yoke.

A is

lt will he evident that when the yoke has the shock ahsorl mechanism and followers assembler. therewith, the drawbar will be yieldingly maiutained in its outermost position shown in Figure' 1. thereby holding' the butt 19 seated in the slot 22 of the loc member so that displacement in tran. rse direction of the locking element will he `prevented.

ln assembling the drawhar B with the yoke A, the hutt 19 of the drawbar is passed through the opening at the forward end of the hood of the yoke, the distance between the flange 16 and the hottom wall 15 of the hood being` such as to permit free insertion of the butt 19 of the drawbar as hereinbefore pointed out. Due to the fact that the hottom arm 11 of the yoke is downwardly olfset as shown at 17, the drawloar butt will pass freely hetween the top and bottom walls of the hood until the butt section of the drawbar is disposed entirely within the hood. rlhe drawoar is then moved rear within the yoke a sufficient distance for the lower vardly C is inserted through the slots 18 until slot een the side f s thereof is disposed midway bewalls ot the yoke. rlhe the slot 22 of 'the locking block C. lt will be vident that the locking hlock will thus be )ositively held against transverse displaceand that outward movement of tl e will be positively limited by the shoull 20 of the butt section 19 thereof engagin the flange 16 he upper side of the hood and the flange 21 on the locking' block C. -Wim the draft t@tear assembled within the yoke as hereinbefore explained, the drawhar will he yieldingly maintained in its outermost position, thereby effectively interlocking the same with the block to prevent lateral displacement of the latter 7ith reference to the yoke, the key in turn holding the drawhar assembled with the yoke.

From the preceding description taken in c^nnection with the drawbar, it will be evid that l have provided a simple and eilicient expedient for holding the drawhar and yoke assembled together with means for preventing accidental displacement of the lockelement. By providing the interlocking drawhar butt and key or locking block, the use of auxiliary means for preventing lateral displacement of the locking` block, such as Cotter `)ins or bolts is entirely dispensed with and amore durable and reliable locking` means for the key is provided. lnasmuch as the lower section of the butt 19 of the drawhar co-operates with the shoulders 23 to prevent lateral displacement of the locking member of my improved device, there is no danger the parts wearing away, thereby permitting' the locking` element to become accidentally displaced with the resultant failure of the holding means for the drawbar hutt, allowing the drawbar to become disconnected from the yoke.

Til/lhile l iave herein shown and described what l now consider1 the preferred manner of carrying' out my invention, the same is merely illustrative, and l contemplate all the changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

T claim:

1. ln a device of the character describes, the combination with a drawbar having a butt presenting transverse shoulders; of a hooded yoke element having side, top, and aottom walls enclosing said butt, said Walls for preventing transverse displacement of the said butt, said hood having a transverse shoulder cri-operating with one of said shoulders of the drawbar to prevent outward movement of said drawbar with reference to the yoke, said side walls having aligned openings, said drawbar butt being insertible through the front end of the hood; and a retaining member fitted within said openings held against isplaccment longitudinally of the yoke by the front and rear end walls of said openings, said member having a transverse shoulder co-operating with the remaining shoulder of the drawbar to limit outward movement oit the latter, said member having spaced upstanding side co-oporating with the side faces of the butt end of the drawbar to maintain said retaining member assembled with the yoke against the lateral removal.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a yoke; of a drawbar having the butt end thereof fitted within the head of the yoke; and means for detachably connecting the dra-wbar and yoke, including a locking element, said yoke having means thereon co-operating with said locking element to hold the same against displacement longitudinally of the yoke, but permitting` lateral adjustment thereof, said drawlntr butt when in assembled position with said yoke interlocking with the locking element to positively prevent lateral displacement thereof.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a yoke open at the head end thereof; of a drawbar havinO' the buttend thereof fitting within the head or the yoke, said butt end beingfreely insertible through the open end of the yollre head; of a detachf able element restricting said opening of the yoke head to hold the drawbar to the yoke, and means on said yoke for holding-2,I said detachable element against disi'ilacement in a direction lengthwise of theyoke, but permitting lateral adjustment of said membr to assen'ible the same with the yoke. said member having means co-operating with the drawbar butt adapted to interengage with the latter when in assembled position with said yoke for preventing relative lateral displacen'ient of said drawbar and member to retain said member against lateral removal from the locking block within the hood extending through said openings and adapted to engage a shoulder of the drawbar butt to hold the drawbar assembled with the yoke, said block having up. andina` shoulders eml'uaeing the sides ofthe drawbar butt to prevent displacerecessed in a direction lengthwise of the yoke to receive the drawbar butt to interlock the block withv said drawbar and yoke against lateral displacement.

6. A yoke for railway draft riggings having a head at the forward end thereof adaptedL to receive the shouldered butt of a drawbar and a flanged locking lock for holdingr they driwbar attached to the yoke, the flange of said block interlocking with a shoulder of said drawbar, the head of said yoke being transversely slotted to accommodate the block and said block being recessed to provide a seat to receive the butt of the drawbar in interlocking relation with the yoke.

7. In a hooded yoke, the hood of which is adapted to receive the butt end of a. drawbar provided with a shouldered butt member; a locking element having a transverse shoulder adapted to engage the shouldered portion of the drawbar butt to limit the outward movement of the drawbar with respect to the yoke and hold the same assembled therewith, the hood portion of the yoke being provided with side openings through which the locking element is insertible, the ends of said locking element fitting the openings to hold said element aga-inst longitudinal movement with respect to the yoke, said locking element having side flanges partially embracing the drawbar butt on opposite sides thereof to lock the retaining element to the drawbar and prevent lateral displacement and removal of the same when the parts are assembled.

8. In a yoke having a hooded forward end adapted to receive a drawbar butt having transverse abutment shoulders, said yoke being provided with transverse abutment shoulders, and a locking block disposed between said shoulders and held against longitudinal movement with respect to the yoke by said abutment shoulders, said locking block having a transverse shoulder engaging one of said transverse abutment shoulders of the drawbar butt to hold said drawbar assembled with the yoke and limit outward movement thereof with respect to the yoke, said block having side flanges partially embracing the sides of the butt.

9. In a yoke having a hooded forward end adapted to accommodate a shouldered drawbar butt, and a locking block, said hood and locking block having co-operating abutment faces limiting forward movement of the block with respect to the yoke, said locking block having a transverse shoulder and side flanges, said transverse shoulder engaging the shouldered portion of the dravvbar butt to hold the draWbar assembled With the yoke and limit outward movement thereof, and said side flanges partially embracing the sides of the drawbar.

10. As an article of manufacture, a locking block adapted for use with a coupler having a shouldered butt and a. hooded yoke, said block having a main body portion provided with a transverse, rearwardly 'a-eing shoulder adapted for cooperation Withthe coupler butt shoulder; vertically disposed side Wings adapted to partly overlap the opposite, lateral `sides of the coupler butt inwardly of said shoulder, said Wings being fixed with respect to each other and rigid with the main body portion of the block; and forwardly facing abutment means adapted for cooperh ation with rearwardly facinzgr abutment means on the yoke. a

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my naine this 16th day of December, 1926.

HARVEY'J. LOUNSBURY. 

